Whitnash estate gains approval

As we reported last week, a proposal put forward by Bovis Homes Ltd to build 111 houses on land south of Fieldgate Lane in Whitnash was put on hold while discussions between the firm and the district council’s planning officers took place.

The matter had been debated at length by councillors last month, following objections from Leamington Golf Club, which sits very close to part of the proposed site.

Warwick district and Whitnash town councillor Tony Heath (Ind, Whitnash), who was at the meeting, said: “The golf club was worried about golf balls flying on to the land occupied by five homes. The club would have been forced to erect a fence, which would have cost a lot of money and may not have even prevented balls from going on to the site.

“This would have made the club uninsurable - and to relocated the green would have cost £250,000, which would have made it unviable.”

Bovis Homes has now agreed to remove those five homes from its plan, as well as to provide the town council with money to build an allotment site elsewhere in the town, as it has not included plans for one on the new estate.

Cllr Heath said the town council was “relatively happy” with the decision, but said there were still concerns about traffic at the already busy Golf Lane/Whitnash Road junction.